Supplements and other medications to try

A close friend of mine who’s had ME for a long time, has suggested a few different supplements to me which I’m going to try in due course, because at the moment, I just want to try anything that’ll make me feel slightly better. The supplements and medications he’s suggested to me are:

• Magnesium Glycinate – Apparently many ME patients are magnesium deficient, magnesium is used up by medications, pain and stress and so it may help to replace the magnesium in your body. You start by taking 100mg once daily, increasing your dose by 100mg every 4 days until you reach bowel tolerance (that is, until your stools are long and sausage like, but not loose) and then stop at that dose. If your stools become loose after an increase in dosage, then decrease your dosage by 50mg and stop there.
• D Ribose – This is good for energy replemishment. 5g is to be stirred into a drink, three times a day. It can cause nausea initially but when it works, it has a good impact on your energy levels.
• Epsom salts foot baths – I’ve been told that these are really good for inflammation, pain, and burning sensations. I’m looking forward to trying these.
• Pregabalin – If the Gabapentin doesn’t have any effect, then hopefully this related drug which is used to treat neuropathic pain will do the trick.
• Nortriptyline or Amitriptyline – Both tricyclic antidepressants used to treat chronic pain. I was on Amitriptyline before until I overdosed on it, and since that I’ve become a little scared of it to be honest, but I’m willing to try it again now I’m in a much better place mentally.
• Buscopan – Suggested to me as a way of treating IBS symptoms, I’ve tried it briefly before but didn’t really give it a chance to work properly before giving up on it. Apparently it can also be used to treat muscle spasms and cramps.
• Baclofen – Could also be used to treat muscle spasms and cramps, if Gabapentin and Buscopan don’t work.

Obviously I want to try some of these suggestions, as if they work they’d really improve my quality of life. However I don’t really want to become dependent on medication, as silly as that sounds, because I kind of want to get better on my own. However, I may at some point have to face the facts that any ‘getting better’ I’m going to do is going to be helped along by some helpful and relevant medications that will help to manage my symptoms in a way that will allow me to lead a more productive and fulfilling life.

If you’re interested in any of these supplements or medications, leave a comment and I’ll get in touch, see if my friend has any more information on them and how they worked for him. Or you could just Google it!

I love you guys!

Alley-Cat
xxxx

I was playing a game the other day when I had to travel across London on the tube (an experience that made me so ill I do not wish to repeat it again anytime soon) of how many Londoners could I make uneasy, simply by smiling at them. The results were astonishing- instead of smiling back at me, they looked at me as if I’d just shot a puppy! A smile is contagious, and it costs nothing. Studies have shown that smiling can increase your mood, so even when you’re feeling low, try to remember to smile. If you smile at another person, you might just make their day. I love it when I make eye contact with someone and they smile at me, it makes me feel all warm inside. So if you’re prone to looking a bit sulky most of the time, or even if you’re just feeling down, try to smile, you never know who might see you!

Disclaimer - Obviously because I am recommending medication, I must warn you that these medicines might not have the desire effect for everyone and for some, might even worsen symptoms of M.E. I am not a medical professional and these are just suggestions based on experience and recommendations from friends in similar situations, if you have any doubts consult a doctor or search the internet for more information. This post is intended as advice, not an instruction, and so ultimately the choice to take these medications falls to you as individuals, please do not lay blame on me if your body does not respond well to these treatments. Thank you

©Alice Daley 2014